Electric switch.



B. W. ALLEN;

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION rum) APR. 8. 1908.

906,361 Patented Dec. 8, 1908 cmm w 15 y/ W/{M W new .and usefulconstructions ta'en on line 3-3, Fig; 1; looking up.

,the pipes or branches BOYD W. ALLEN, Q3 BOSTON, BMSMQHUSE'ETE.

ELECTRIC SWZECH.

no. eoaecr.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908,

Application fled April; 6, 1908 I Serial No. 425,302.

To all whom. may concern:

Be it known that I, Born W. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Sufi'olk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful improvements in ElectricSwitches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to that class of electric lightswitches in which a plurality of lamps-such as, for instance, aresupported by the arms of an electric light chandelier or electroliermaybe manipulated in series, and in which one, two, or more of said lampsmay be placed in circuit, or all extinguished, by the rotation of abarrel which is operated by the manipulation of a knob or handle outsidethe chandelier.

The present invention comprises certain and arrangements of partswhereby the switch is shielded and guarded from loose wires in thechandelier, whereby the barrel is stopped in its rotation at fixedpoints and short-circuiting prevented, and whereby the mechanism isattached to the fixture.

The nature of the invention is fully described in detail below, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l,is a vertical section taken through the central shellormetallic globe of an electrolier, with my improved switch-mechanisinillustrated in position in elevation, and

with the switch open Fig. 2 is aplan view of the under side oltheswitch-mechanism re oved. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section Fi 4. 1s afront elevation of the porcelain shiel d Tor guard removed. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the same, looking toward the left. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the barrel removed.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Reference numerals l0 and 11 represent the two halves which constitutethe central globe or case of the electrolier.

12 is the conduit containing the negative wire 13 and the positive wire14 (the former leading to the switch) which connect with the source ofelectricit and 15, 16 and 17 .(the last illustrated in otted lines)represent which lead to the lamps. These tubular branches are, ofcourse, each provided with a pair of wires, and of the wires whichconnect them with the switch, 18, 19' and 20 are no 'ative wiresconnecting thehwitchwith the amps supported the circular andcomparatively by the tubular branches 15, 16 and 1? respectively.

Theswitch comprises a vertically disposed barrel, a porcelain guardprovided with horizontal extensions at its lower and upper ends, aconnection securing theupper end of the guard to the fixture, meansconnecting the lower end of the barrel to a rota-tive knob on theoutside of the lower portion of the globe, and means for stopping. thebarrel and locking it at certain points.

The barrel 21 is metallic and comprises thick upper portion 22, thelower portion 23, smaller in diameter and provided with a horizontalhole 24, a sleeve 25 pinned at 26 to the portion 23 and provided withthe flange 27 formed with four teeth 28 and concaved on its peripheryetween said teeth, the circular ilange 29, and three contact teeth 30,31, and 32 (Figs. 1, 3 and 6') below described, the whole barrel beingmade in one integral piece. The barrel is mounted in a semicylindricalporcelain shield or guard, made in one integral piece, and whichcomprises the curved upright wall 33, the circular upper end or top Bhprovided with a horizontal overhang or flange 35, and the preferablysubstantially rectangular lower end or base 36 so disposed with relationto the upright portion as to provide horizontal flanges or extensions 37and 38-. The upper end or top 34 is bored to receive and constitute abearing for the portion 22 of the barrel, and the base or lower end 36is bored to receive and constitute a bearing for the portion 23 of thebarrel between the flange 29 and the toothed portion 27, 28, said flange29 resting on the upper surface of the base, and the toothed portion 27,28 being next and under the base.

Mounted on the upper end of the porcelain guard and properly insulatedfrom the upper end of the barrel by a sheet or sheets of mica 39, is ametallic connection or holder which comprises an internally screwthreaded tube or pipe 40 (shown in Fig. l as partly rotation of thebroken out) which is supported by a screw I 41 which extends down fromof the fixture from which the pipes'15, 16, 17 radiate, thesubstantially flat circular portion 43 integral with the upwardlyextending pipe 40 and dis nosed next and above the mica disk 39, aconsisting of the downwardly extending wardly extending and a downwardthe portion 42 portion 44 and the inportion 45 (Figs. 1. and 3),extension 46 (Figs. 2 and 3) which is screwed to the' rear portion ofthe upright wall 33 of the porcelain guard by a screw 47. These parts40, 43,44, and 46 constitute one, integral piece or holder, and sustainthe guard by, means of the screw 47 and the inturned portion 45 of thelip which extends under the flange 35, and thus the switch-mechanismconnected with the guard is sustained vertically in position at itsupper end. The lower end 23 of the barrel extends into a tubularconnection 48 which is made ,of insulating material and provided with apin 49 which extends through the hole 24, and the said connection 48extends down through'a suitable hole in the lower portion of the part 11of the globe and is connected by a pin 50 with a handleor ball 51 whichis adapted to be rotated by the hand, thus enabling the entire barrel tobev rotated, for the purpose below described.

The teeth 30, 31, 32 are formed on thebarrelQl by recessing the barrelbetween the portion 22- and'the flange 29, and constitute,.'cont'actpoints' for a series of spring-switches rotation of thecontact-tooth- 32.

or individual switches 52,53 and 54. As

' thebarrel is rotated by the handle 51 the s ring-switch 52 is in thepath of rotation of t e contact-tooth 30', the spring-switch 53 is inthe ath of rotation of the contact-tooth 31, an the spring-switch 54 isinthe path of These switches 52, 53 and 54 are respectively in Inthedrawing, the switc 5 turn toward the electrical connection with thenegative wires 20, 1s and 19. tion 22of the A spring 55 bears on theporbarrel,- and is electrically con nected with .the negative wire 13.These springs .are all secured to the porcelain guard which are formedin'order'to produce the "contact-teeth 30,31 and 32. Thes ring 55'-is'incOntactwit-h the barrel during t ie entire rotation thereof. Tolight one'lamp'ofthe eleotrolier, the barrelis rotated one quarterswitch '52, and lighting the lamp in the branch I 17. To light the lampsin two branches'of in addition tothat "in: tlieb ranch 17 To .liglitallthe lamps in the .electrolie'r, another; quarter barrel thus bringing.the' tooth 3-2 under and the switch 5.4 anglligh ting. inad'di'tiontothe others the lamp in the branch '16. Another quarter turn--to the into contact with the 'ele'ctrolier, the barrel is' givenanother quart-er turn tr'iward'the right; thus bringing a the tooth31'under and into -contactwithth'e switch 53, lighting the lampin-thebr'anch 15 turn toward theright is givento the right bringsthe'recesse'd portion opposite all right, thus bringing the: tooth'30'u-nder and into contact with the the three switches, as in Figs. -1and 3, extinguishin all the lamps. By rotating the barrel tot e left thelamps are all lighted at once, and further rotation one at a time. Itwill be seen that although the approaching edges of these three teethare on diiierent radii of the circle which corresponds to thecircumference of the portion 32, their rear edges are in a longitudinalline, thus causing the tooth 30 to remain in con-- tact with the switch52 while the tooth 31 is in contact with the switch 53, and both teeth30 and 31 to remain in contact with their respective switches while thetooth 32 is contact with the switch 54. it is not sary that the spacesbetween the different teeth 30, 31 and 32 should be of the same width,that is, that theyshould each be one quarter of the circumference oi thebarrel, it i being only necessary that the switches 5'2, and 54 shouidbe brought successively into contact with the teeth 30, 31 and 32 atsome portion of the first quarter rotation, second quarter rotation, andthird quarter rotation in Fi 1, so that the switch 52 would broug t'intocontact with the barrel. during the first quarter rotation thereof, theswitch 53 during the second quarter rotation, and the switch 54 duringthe third quarter rctation, whereby first one light is lighted, then the second in addition to the firshthen the third in addition to the firstand second. Theoreticaliy the spaces between the dii'ferent. teeth wouldbe equal, but practically it is .visable that the second tooth 31 shouldbe reached'a little later than the beginning of the next quarter turn,and the third tooth 32 a little later than the second quarter turn inorder to prevent sparking, and hence practice, as well as in thedrawings, lib-a s aces between the teeth are not equal. ach toothhowever is brought into contact ter turn, but before it is thus'broughtinto contact thereis a short s ace between the Trront edge of the toothan the switch which corresponds with it; If the spaces between the,teeth'were exactly one quarter the cirthe Qteethwould successively bevery nearly in contact with their switches before the cor respondingquarter turns of the barrel, and sparking would result. It should beunderstood. however that it is not claimed that the lighting of thedifferent-lamps of an electro der, is new in itself considered.

v Appl'ed to the under side of the base 36 of the guard, is a springwhich is secured there. tobyisuitable screws 58, 59. consists of 'theportion 60 whose and 15 secured to the screw 58vand which'extends aroundthe screw 59 and is bent to form the portion 61 which; extends' to. thetoothed of the barrelfrom its position as illustrated with its switchatsome time during the quarcumference of the barrel it is evident thatlier in rotation, or one, two and three in or- 1 I l This spring,-

ece,eei

flange 27, 28 and is then bent at its opposite end into the portion 62which bears against the flange' The teeth 28 on this flange are .four innumber and the spaces between them the barrel is held firmly, wherebythere is no danger of looseness or partial rotation which might produceshort-circuiting.

The portion 33 of the shield or guard of porcelain or othernon-conductive material extends for between half and three-fourths thedistance around the barrel, besides overhanging it at the top portion 35and extending outward. from the base at 37, 38, and thus it not onlyinsulates the barrel to the ordinary degree or extent, but iteffectually guards it and protects it from loose wires in theelectrolier.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In an electric switch of the character described, a rotative barrelprovided with a plurality of teeth at different points of itscircumference, a guard or shield of non-conductive materiel disposedaround the rear and side portions of the barrel and above and below theoperative portions of the switch, a series of switches mounted on theguard and extending into the paths of rotation of said teeth, a forwardhorizontal extension integral with the upper end of the guard, a platemounted on said upperend and provided with an upwardly extendinginternal y screwthreaded pipe, a downward extension rigid with saidplate and adapted to be secured to the rear wall of the guard, and a lipextending downward from the front edge of the plate and inward under theforward extension which is integral with the guard, for the purpose setforth.

2. In an electric switch of the character described, a rotative'barrelprovided with a plurality of teeth at diilerent points of itscircumference, a guard or shield of non-conductive material disposedaround the rear and side portions of the barrel and above and below theoperative portions of the switch, a series of switches mounted on theguard and extending into the paths'of-rotation of said teeth, a flangerigid on the barrel below the guard and provided with teeth the spacesbetween which correspond in position with the individual switches in theseries, and a spring Whose free end bears against said flange andthereby locks the barrel yieldingly at the points in its rotation whereone or more of the switches are closed or all are open, for thepurpose-set forth. I

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BOYD WJALLEN. W'itnesses HENRY W. WILLrAMs, M. A. Arwoon.

